Scope and Standards of Practice

In the document, Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, scope of practice is defined by the “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” and “how” of nursing practice, including advanced practice nursing.

In addition, there are other documents relevant to specialties. For example, Pediatric Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice is a collaborative effort of the ANA, the Society for Pediatric Nurses (SPN), and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP). This resource and others like it are listed below.

Other organizations publish relevant documents as well. For example, The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) publishes Scope and Standards for Nurse Anesthesia Practice. Resources from the AANA and other specialty organizations are also listed below.

The nursing profession, including professional and specialty organizations, is responsible to its members and to the public to define the scope of practice and standards of practice. This foundational work provides the basis for further description and refinement by other entities and is represented as the broadest level at the base of the pyramid.

Please see the additional considerations for the APRN scope of practice:

Back to Scope of Practice Main Page
Specialty-Specific Resources:Other organizations, including many specialty organizations, publish a number of documents than can be helpful in defining scope of practice, from Scope & Standards documents to position statements.